Landing light -from ground or first floor

[turningtim]

This may be a stupid question but should the landing light, two way switched from the hall downstairs be fed from the downstairs lighting curcuit or the upstairs.

i'd have thougth it should come from downstairs so the two gang switch for hall and landing is isolated from one breaker in the CU and if the upstairs curcuit fails you can still see down the stairs and if the downstairs goes you've probabaly got enough light to see from bedrooms etc. (odviously if both go your stuffed!)

 

[Click-Sure]

I go upstairs, personally, as the actual fitting is normally on the ceiling of the upstairs.

I've also seen them on a dedicated circuit with the smokes.

 

[turningtim]

thanks click, does it not matter that the hall switch (two gang one for the landing upstairs, one for the hall downstairs) will always be live unless both curcuits are isolated - or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?

 

[PrinceofDarkness]

I also don't like to see a multi-gang switch fed by more than one MCB - although this is quite commonplace, particularly with the domestic 2-gang switch in the hall, and there's no regulation to preclude that practice.

But there's a far simpler way of supplying the landing 2-way light in this instance, with a more efficient and logical use of cable.......

From the hall light, run a 3C&E to the 2-gang switch. This will be Neutral (grey) to a connector block, and live feed (brown) with black S/L back to the hall light.

At the 2-gang switch, link the 'commons', then take a 3C&E from here to the landing 2-way switch. This will be Brown/Black strappers and grey Neutral to another connector block at that switch. Then it's a simple matter of wiring in T&E to the landing light from the common of the switch and the Neutral connector.

This method avoids the use of a borrowed Neutral, it also allows for an independent light on the 1st floor should the other lights on that floor fail for some reason, and it yields the most efficient use of cable.

The consumer unit is then simply labeled "Lights, downstairs and landing".


Lucia.

 

[bernardgreen]

But it also means that lights top and bottom of the stairs are lost if that one RCD or MCB trips for whatever reason.

Have circuits fed from two sources in one switch plate is not a hazard in normal use ( see below ) and only presents a possible hazard during maintainance. A note on the CU can warn of the need to isolate both lighting circuits before working.

Reduce the number of wires in the shared switch plate by taking the Live/Switched Live 2C+E cables to the other switches

There is one possible hazard. If the two lives are from different sources neither of which have RCD protection and become shorted then the lighting circuits are "protected" by a 12 amp MCB ( 2 by 6 amp MCBs/fuse in parallel )

 

[turningtim]

thanks to one and all, it seems there's more than one way to skin this particular cat!

But just to add the the plan having taken the ceiling rose downstairs off there is a bit of choc-block wedged in the back linking in the outside porch light which is switched from a separate single gang switch -not good! Given that Im thinking of replacing the rose with a junction box, the pendant with a couple of downlights and do the porch light properly.

Is it ok to use the same feed for porch and other external lights or should they be fed from a separate MCB?

 

[bernardgreen]

Is it ok to use the same feed for porch and other external lights or should they be fed from a separate MCB?

If they are on separate MCB then any damage to the external light(s) that takes out the MCB and/or RCD will not disable you internal lights.

Or fit a double pole switch for external lamps so they can be fully isolated.